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Difference between revisions of "The Sims 2"

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Revision as of 19:49, 19 April 2020

The Sims 2
The Sims 2 cover
Developers
Maxis
macOS (OS X) Aspyr Media
Publishers
Electronic Arts
Engines
The Sims 2 Engine
Release dates
Windows September 14, 2004
macOS (OS X) June 13, 2005
Reception
Metacritic 90
IGDB 71
Monetization Sponsored, DLC, Expansion pack
The Sims 2 on IGDB
The Sims 2 guide on StrategyWiki
The Sims 2 on MobyGames
The Sims 2 on Wikipedia
The Sims
Subseries of Sim
The Sims 2000
The Sims Online 2002
The Sims 2 2004
The Sims Stories (series)
MySims 2008
The Sims 3 2009
The Sims Medieval 2011
The Sims 4 2014

Key points

Large modding community.
The disc version may not run properly on Windows 10 due to issues with SafeDisc and/or SecuROM.[1]

General information

Official Website (archived)
The Sims 2 Official Forums
EA Answer HQ
EA Answer HQ (OS X)
The Sims Wikia

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
CD key
SafeDisc v3 DRM[Note 1].
Later expansions use v4 or SecuROM 7 DRM.
Windows
Mac App Store
Icon overlay.png
Super Collection.
macOS (OS X)
SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see above for affected versions).
The Windows version is no longer sold digitally.
All Origin versions are automatically upgraded to The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection. Contact the EA Support for retail versions.[4]
The Ultimate Collection has been pulled from the Origin store in August 2014.
The Ultimate Collection from Origin no longer uses SecuROM DRM.[5] However, it still requires Origin running to play.

Version differences

List of all different versions and regions can be found on Wikipedia.

DLC and expansion packs

Name Notes
Apartment Life
Windows
Bon Voyage
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Celebration! Stuff
Windows
Family Fun Stuff
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Freetime
Windows
Glamour Life Stuff
Windows
macOS (OS X)
H&M Fashion Stuff Also known as Fashion Stuff in Australia.
Windows
Happy Holiday Stuff Also known as Festive Holiday Stuff in Europe.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Happy Holiday Pack Also known as Christmas Party Pack in the UK and Ireland and Holiday Party Pack in Australia.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
IKEA Home Stuff
Windows
Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff
Windows
Mansion & Garden Stuff
Windows
Nightlife
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Open for Business
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Pets
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Seasons
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Teen Style Stuff
Windows
University
Windows
macOS (OS X)

Essential improvements

In-game camera and game recording settings.
In-game camera and game recording settings.

Patches

Retail versions of the base game, expansions, and the Family Fun Stuff pack require patching after installation. The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection on Origin is already patched.
Although the game's patch site has now gone down, many expansion pack patches are available from here. Patch notes can be found here.

Skip intro videos

Delete or rename video files[6]

For the base game:

For the Ultimate Collection:

  1. Delete ealogo_audio.movie in <path-to-game>\Fun with Pets\SP9\TSData\Res\Movies\.
  2. Delete intro_eng_audio.movie in <path-to-game>\Double Deluxe\Base\TSData\Res\Movies\.

Improved view distances

Remove fog[7]
  1. Open cheat console with Ctrl+ Shift+C.
  2. Type boolprop dontMergeNHFlora false and uintProp lotSkirtSizeIncrease 120.
Cheats can be loaded on game start by adding them to the configuration file.

Game data

In-game general settings.
In-game general settings.

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\TSData\Res\Config[Note 2]
macOS (OS X)
<path-to-game> changes according to what expansions are installed. For example, the path of Ultimate Collection or all expansions would be ...\Fun with Pets\SP9\....

Save game data location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\EA Games\The Sims™ 2 Ultimate Collection\
macOS (OS X)

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
Origin
OneDrive
Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.

Video settings

In-game graphics settings.
In-game graphics settings.

Template:Video settings

Widescreen resolution

The follow utility also addresses common issues like graphics settings that are inaccessible or not getting applied on newer GPUs, as well as black square Sim shadows.
Use the Graphics Rule Maker[citation needed]
  1. Download and install the Graphics Rules Maker.
  2. Open the program and select The Sims 2 in the game dropdown menu. If it doesn't automatically find the game, browse to the latest installed expansion/stuff pack.
  3. Modify the settings under Game Tweaks to apply the desired fixes.
  4. Press Save Files... and click Yes in the window that appears.
If despite using the tool the game cannot run above 800x600 resolution, or the game is locked to 4:3 aspect ratio, see 800x600 resolution fix.
If using the Sim Shadow Fix manual method, the Enable Sim Shadows fix on Graphics Rule Maker will not work.

Field of view (FOV)

Each of the game's cameras can have their FOV set independently using the FOV parameter in their camera settings files, which are located in %USERPROFILE%\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Cameras\.

Anti-aliasing (AA)

The Sims 2 cannot determine how much VRAM modern GPUs have. As a result it defaults to its failsafe, which is 32 MB, and prevents edge smoothing.
Raise amount of fallback value[citation needed]
  1. Navigate to the configuration file location.
  2. Open Graphics Rules.sgr.
  3. Find the following section:
    if (not $useSoftwareRasterizer)
       # failed to obtain device texture memory size, force to 32 MB
       if ($textureMemory = 0)
          seti textureMemory       32
       endif
    and set seti textureMemory to the GPU's VRAM.

Input settings

Template:Input settings

Audio settings

Alt-tabbing may not work properly during the game's loading screens.
In-game audio settings.
In-game audio settings.

Template:Audio settings

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Czech
Danish
Dutch
Finnish
French
German
Greek
Hebrew
Hungarian
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Norwegian
Polish
Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Swedish
Thai
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese

Issues fixed

Vista/7 Compatibility

Retail release of the game has issues and will show an error message when loaded. Patching the game or installing the expansion packs will correct this.

Can't install the retail version on Windows 10

Attempting to install via AutoRun.exe returns an error message: "This app has been blocked for your protection; An administrator has blocked you from running this app"
Disable UAC temporarily[8]
  1. Open the Registry Editor (regedit.exe).
  2. Go to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System.
  3. Double-click on EnableLUA.
  4. Change the value from 1 to 0, and click OK.
  5. Restart the computer to turn off UAC.
  6. Install the game via the AutoRun program.
  7. Once installed, open the Registry Editor again and change 0 back to 1.
  8. Restart the computer again to turn UAC on.

Temporarily freezing during launch with certain AMD GPUs on Windows 10

Newer versions of the Radeon Adrenalin driver software cause this issue.
Rollback to Radeon Adrenalin driver v.18.12.1.1
  1. Download DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller).
  2. Download Radeon Adrenalin v.18.12.1.1 or earlier.
  3. Extract [Guru3D.com]-DDU.zip.
  4. Run DDU v<version_number>.exe.
  5. Click on Extract.
  6. Go to the DDU v<version_number> folder and run Display Driver Uninstaller.exe.
  7. Click on the Select device type drop-down menu and select GPU, make sure AMD is selected in the drop-down menu below.
  8. Click on Clean and restart and wait for the computer to reboot.
  9. Run Win10-64Bit-Radeon-Software-Adrenalin-Edition-18.12.1.1-Dec5.
  10. Click on Install and proceed with the setup.
  11. After the setup, restart the computer and launch the game.
Alternatively, use DXVK to circumvent DirectX issues[9]
  1. Download DXVK.
  2. Follow this guide on how to install DXVK for The Sims 2.

Fix crashing with Nvidia 1XXX and Windows 10

Apply 4GB fix to the executable[10]
  1. Download the 4GB Patch.
  2. Extract 4gb_patch.zip.
  3. Run 4gb_patch.exe.
  4. Apply patch to <path-to-game>\TSBin\Sims2EP9.exe.
Alternatively, use DXVK to circumvent DirectX issues
  1. Download the newest Version of DXVK
  2. Follow this guide on how to install DXVK for The Sims 2

Issues on newer CPUs

The Sims 2 was made before the release of multi-core CPUs. It may have issues loading on startup on newer CPUs with multiple cores and hyperthreading.
Use -CPUCount:1 launch parameter.[11]

Neighbourhoods inaccessible in Ultimate Collection

Remove ™ in registry key[citation needed]
  1. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\
  2. Find the EA GAMES folder and open The Sims 2. Delete from The Sims 2™ Ultimate Collection in the Display Name.

Game stuck in 800x600 resolution, or 4:3 aspect ratio

Edit Graphics Rules.sgr
  1. Go to <path-to-game>\Fun with Pets\SP9\TSData\Res\Config.
  2. Open Graphics Rules.sgr with a text editor.
  3. Search for:
    option ScreenModeResolution
    setting $Low
    uintProp maxResWidth      800
    uintProp maxResHeight     600
    uintProp defaultResWidth  800
    uintProp defaultResHeight 600
    
  4. Replace uintProp maxResWidth and uintProp defaultResWidth values with the new resolution width.
  5. Replace uintProp maxResHeight and uintProp defaultResHeight values with the new resolution height.
  6. Save and close.
E.g., for a 1920x1080 resolution:
option ScreenModeResolution
setting $Low
uintProp maxResWidth      1920
uintProp maxResHeight     1080
uintProp defaultResWidth  1920
uintProp defaultResHeight 1080
The new resolution will appear in the in-game menu.
Force resolution and texture memory via the Graphics Rules Maker[citation needed]
  1. Download, install and run the Graphics Rules Maker.
  2. Set Force texture memory to 4000 Mb (try lowering this value if the game crashes).
  3. Change Default resolution: and Maximum resolution: to the desired resolution.
  4. Click Save Files....

Cannot set shadows to high quality setting

Use a custom config file[citation needed]
  1. Go to the configuration file location.
  2. Make a backup of Graphics Rules.sgr.
  3. Edit Graphics Rules.sgr and paste the content provided here.

Black Square Shadows

Download Sim Shadow Fix[citation needed]
  1. Go here and download the file that suits your preferences (0.2 shadows are more opaque, 0.4 more transparent and 0.3 are in between).
  2. Extract the .package file inside the downloaded zip file to %USERPROFILE%\Documents\EA Games\The Sims™ 2 Ultimate Collection\Downloads\.
If using an Intel HD Graphics card, the author recommends downloading the xReallyNotMisty versions of the fix.

Low quality neighborhood terrain

Enable high quality neighborhood terrain
  1. Navigate to the configuration file location.
  2. Open Graphics Rules.sgr
  3. Find the following section:
           boolProp simpleTerrain              true
    and change true to false.

Stuck Sims/Poorly Placed Objects/Frozen Objects

Periodically, a sim may become trapped or a special object may be placed in a bad location, preventing a sim from doing anything. In other cases, a normal object may be improperly tagged as "in use" and cannot be moved, sold, or manipulated.
Use this cheat carefully. Some objects like the mail box cannot be replaced once deleted.
Use moveobjects cheat code[citation needed]
  1. Open cheat console with Ctrl+ Shift+C.
  2. Type moveobjects on and enter buy mode.
  3. Move the object to another location.
  4. Restore game back to normal with moveobjects off.

"More..." button does not work in conversations

This issue is caused by using a mouse when playing on a laptop with a touchpad.
Disable the touchpad[citation needed]
Alternatively, play with the touchpad instead of a mouse[citation needed]
If playing on a desktop PC, it is solved by pressing Tab when selecting options in the pie menu

Other information

API

ExecutablePPC 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Starting with the Nightlife expansion in 2006, the game and all its expansions were made universal binaries for Intel Macs, which continued until the Bon Voyage expansion in late 2007.

The Apartment Life and FreeTime expansions were not released individually and thus require the Ultimate Collection, which is Intel-only. Fortunately, it is fully 64-bit as of 2019.

Mods

The Sims 2 attracted a large modding community, allowing further customization features. Unfortunately, even properly designed mods could increase the chances of crashes and errors in the game. Mods have a major impact on loading time and stability, and should be used with discretion if issues arise.

Official Tools

These tools were created by Maxis and formerly hosted on the game's official website.
  • BodyShop (Demo) - Allow to create custom sims, hair and clothes.
The Sims 2 and the BodyShop Demo should not be installed on the same machine at the same time. Existing save games may corrupt and other issues may arise.

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 98SE, ME, 2000
Processor (CPU) 800 MHz
System memory (RAM) 256 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 3.5 GB
Video card (GPU) ATI Radeon 7200
Nvidia GeForce2 Series
32 MB of VRAM
DirectX 9 compatible
When the Seasons (or later) Expansion Pack is installed, T&L incompatible graphics chips can be used[12]; however it requires a minimum CPU speed of 2.4 GHz.
macOS (OS X)
Minimum
Operating system (OS) 10.3.8
Processor (CPU) 1.2 GHz PowerPC G4/G5
System memory (RAM)
Hard disk drive (HDD) 3 GB
Video card (GPU) ATI Radeon 9000
Nvidia GeForce FX5200
32 MB of VRAM

Notes

  1. SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows 10[2] or Windows 11 and is disabled by default on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 when the KB3086255 update is installed.[3]
  2. When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).

References